Film-processing machine

ABSTRACT

A film-processing machine in which a strip of film is driven back and forth through a tank of processing solution. The ends of the film remain fixed while rollers drive the intermediate portion. To take up slack and maintain tension, two gravitationally biased guide rollers are mounted on vertically moving carriages at opposite ends of the path. Each of the carriages operates a microswitch, automatically reversing the direction the film is driven.

I United States Patent [111 3,592,119

[72] Inventor lhlphG. Mlthesort (V 2,770,179 11/1956. Dye et al 95/94 178 Essex Ave. Gkiuces'ter, Mm. 0l930 P E h M H [2" pp No. "7'7" runary xamurer-Jo n oran Assistant Exammer- Kenneth C. Hutchlson [22] Filed Apr. 2]. 1969 A" Th M & E 451 Patented July 13. mi

[54] FILM-PROCESSING MACHINE 8 Claims, 5 Davin Ftp.

ABSTRACT: A film-processing machine in which a strip of 95/94 film is driven back and forth through a tank of processing solulsl] 603d tion. The ends of the film remain fixed while rollers drive the [50] l'kldilsflrcll 95/89, 94 intermediate porno To mke up l k and i i tension,

two gravitationally biased guide rollers are mounted on venicm cally moving carriages at opposite ends of the path. Each of UNITED STATES PATENTS the carriages operates a microswitch, automatically reversing 2.248.333 7/l94l Burbank 95/94 the direction the film is driven.

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IIII'IYII PATENTEU JUL 1 3'9?! SHEET 3 OF 3 lllllLTllillnll Inventor.- M0 0 6.15111412308022 FILM PROCESSING MACHINE This invention relates to the processing of photographic film.

The invention includes a method of processing photographic film which comprises disposing a strip of film in a path having a lower portion passing through a processing tank and an upper portion disposed above the tank, and reciprocating the strip back and forth along the path so as to draw at least part of the strip into, through, and out of the tank while maintaining all parts of the strip out of contact with each other.

The invention also includes a machine for processing photographic film comprising a housing having in a lower part thereof a tank adapted to contain film-processing solution, guide means defining a path for film which has at least one section thereof within the tank and means for driving film alternately in opposed directions lengthwise of the path so that at least part of the film is driven into, through and out of the tank on each movement ofthe film back and forth.

The invention also includes a machine for processing photographic film comprising a housing providing an enclosed volume for film and having a tank for film-processing solution in a lower part thereof, means for fixedly securing opposed ends of an elongated strip of film relative to the housing, guide means defining a path for the film through the housing and having at least one section thereof which extends through solution within the tank, the guide means including movable guide elements which allow the length of film between respective ends thereof and the tank to be varied, and drive means for alternately advancing an intermediate section of the film in opposed directions lengthwise of the path and through the said at least one section of the path, movement of the film being accompanied by movement of the guide elements in directions respectively corresponding to an increase and decrease in the length of film between the tank and the ends of the film.

Preferably, the guide means include, intermediate each end of the film and the tank, a pair of guide rollers which are rotatably mounted at fixed locations relative to the housing and a further roller which forms part of the movable guide element and is mounted on a movable carriage of that element, the film path extending from one of the said pair of rollers to the other via the further roller and the carriage being moved in a first sense by the film when the drive means advance the film in a direction corresponding to a reduction in the length of film between the pair of rollers and being biased so as to move in the opposite sense when film is advanced in the opposite direction.

In this event the carriages are preferably freely movable in a vertical direction and are biased so as to move in the said opposite sense by the influence of gravity.

Preferably, the sections of film path which extend from the further roller to respective rollers of the pair are parallel with one another.

Preferably, the guide means include at least one roller disposed within the tank and sections of film path extend vertically upwards from respective opposed sides of the or each roller to respective associated rollers mounted above the tank.

The guide means may then include a plurality of lower rollers disposed within the tank and having mutually spaced, parallel arranged axes and a plurality of upper rollers disposed above the tank and having mutually spaced, parallel arranged axes.

Alternatively, the guide means may include a plurality of axially aligned, lower rollers within the tank and a plurality of axially aligned, upper rollers above the tank.

The invention will now be described, by way of exam le, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diag ammatic front elevation of a housing and a film processing machine according to the invention;

FIG. la is a plan view of a movable guide element of the machine in FIG. I;

FIG. 1b is a side elevation of part of the guide element of FIG. 1a;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the interior of the housing of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the machine of FIG. I, this view showing the drive mechanism of the machine.

As indicated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the present machine includes a housing 1 having a tank 3 for film-processing solution at the bottom thereof and inlets 5 for film at the leftand right-hand sides thereof. The housing is provided with a front cover which has been removed to show the interior of the housing in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the interior of the housing I is provided with guide means which define an extended path for film between the apertures 5 at opposite sides of the housing. These guide means comprise stationary guide means which include upper rollers 7 and lower rollers 9, and movable guide means which include upper rollers 8 and lower rollers l2.

As indicated in FIG. I and 2, the upper rollers 7 of the stationary guide means are arranged in four groups of IO rollers respectively mounted on shafts 2]. The four shafts 21 are mutually spaced and extend parallel with one another in a direction from front to rear of the housing 1. Each shaft 21 is journaled in a bar 22 at the forward end thereof and in the rear wall of the housing at the rearward end thereof. The shafts 21 are coupled to a driving mechanism, as hereinafter described.

The lower rollers 9 of the stationary guide means are likewise arranged in four groups of nine rollers respectively mounted on four, mutually spaced, parallel arranged shafts 23. Each shaft 23 is arranged vertically below a shalt 21 and is supported at its front and rear ends by brackets 24 depending from front and rear bars 25, respectively. The shafts 23 support the lower rollers 9 within the tank 3.

As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, each movable guide means includes three upper rollers 8 and two lower rollers 12. The upper rollers 8 are freely rotatable on a shaft 26 which extends parallel with the shafts 21 of the stationary guide means and is likewise rotatably supported at its front and rear ends.

The lower rollers 12 of each movable guide means are mounted on a movable carriage 27 which is shown in more detail in FIGS. la and lb of the drawings. Referring to these figures, each carriage 27 includes a horizontal plate 28 which extends between upstanding side plates 29 and supports two pairs of mounting brackets 30. Each pair of brackets 30 provides a rotatable mounting for one of the lower rollers 12, these rollers having their axes inclines to the axes of the upper rollers 8 in the manner indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

Each carriage 27 in constrained to move in a vertical direction by engagement of a series of wheels 31 on the carriage with a pair of stationary guide rods 32. As indicated in FIGS. la and lb two pairs of wheels are provided on each sideplate 29 of the carriage, one pair being mounted adjacent the top of the sideplate and the other pair adjacent the bottom.

Secured to one sideplate 29 of each carriage 82 is an upstanding rod 34 which carries an abutment 35. The abutment 35 engages a microswitch 36 when the carriage is in its uppermost position, as hereinafter described.

As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a supply or takeup cabinet 17 is provided at each side of the housing 1, adjacent to the aperture 5, and mounted in each cabinet 17 is a pin 15 and an idler roller 19.

In use of the present machine a length of film 13 is threaded through the machine in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. As indicated in these drawings, a loop at one end of the film I3 is engaged with the pin 15 at the left-hand side of the machine and the film extends from this pin, over an idler roller 19 and then through an aperture 5 in the housing 1. Within the housing I the film first engages the movable guide means at the left-hand side of the housing, film extending over the rearward roller 8, vertically downwards from this roller 8 to the rear roller 12, vertically upwards from roller 12 to the central roller 8, vertically downwardly to the front roller 12 and, finally, vertically upwardly to the front roller 8.

From the movable guide means film extends through the stationary guide means in the manner shown in the drawings, film successively engaging upper and lower rollers 7 and 9, respectively, of a group and then passing to the succeeding group.

At the right-hand side of the machine the film extends from the stationary guide means to the rollers 8 and 12 of the righthand movable guide means and, finally, through the aperture in the sidewall. From the aperture 5 the film extends over the idler roller [9 and is engaged with the fixed pin 15 at the righthand side of the machine.

The present machine is provided with a driving mechanism which causes a major portion of the film [3 to be alternately advanced along the above-described path through the housing 1 in opposite directions. This driving mechanism is diagrammatically shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 3, two motors 37 are mounted on the top of the housing I and are coupled via respective gears 38 and shafts 39 to respective magnetic clutch mechanisms 40. Clutch mechanisms 40 are axially aligned with respect to one another and each has an inner plate thereof coupled to a central shaft 4]. Shaft 41 carries a sprocket 42 which is coupled by means of an endless chain 43 to a sprocket 44 on a stub shaft 45.

A series of further stub shafts 45 alternates with the rear ends of the above-mentioned shafts 21 and the shafts 2! and 45 are couple together by sprockets 46 and an endless chain 47.

In use of the machine the motors 37 are continuously energized and serve to rotate the associated shafts 39 in respective opposite senses. The central shaft 41 is coupled to one or other of the shafts 39, according to which one of the clutch mechanisms 40 is energized. Rotation of shaft 4] causes rotation of the shafts 2I and therefore rotation of the upper rollers 7 of the stationary guide means, in a sense determined by which clutch 40 is energized.

When the machine is not in use a leader strip is threaded through the housing I along the path for film 13 which is shown in the drawings. To introduce a film 13 a reel of film is mounted on one of the pins 15, one end of the reel is spliced to one end of the strip, and the leader strip is then used to draw the film into the machine by driving means not shown in the drawings. A loop is then formed at each end of the film 13 and these loops are engaged with respective pins 15 as shown in FIG. 1.

As mentioned above, the driving mechanism of the present invention relates the shafts 2t first in one sense and then in the other sense.

Assuming for the moment that these shafts 2| are rotating in a clockwise sense as seen in FIG. 1. the effect of this rotation is to cause film l3 engaging the stationary guide means to be driven along the film path in the general direction from the ieftto the right-hand side of the housing I. A section of film in this part of the path moves downwardly from an upper roller 7 to a lower roller 9, upwardly from roller 9 to the suc ceeding roller 7, etc. and the section spends a predetermined proportion of time in the solution.

In accordance with this movement of film 13 between rol lers 7 and 9, film I3 is continuously withdrawn from the movable guide means at the left-hand side of the machine and additional film is fed to the movable guide means on the right. Since the left-hand end of the film I3 is secured relative to the pin 15 the effect of withdrawing film from the movable guide means on the left-hand side of the machine is to cause the rollers l2 and carriage 11 to move upwardly along rods 32. Similarly, supply of additional film 13 to the right-hand movable guide means allows the rollers 12 and carriage ll of this guide means to descend under the influence ofgravity.

When the left-hand carriage II has moved upwardly by a predetermined amount the abutment 35 operates microswitch 36, which is connected in an electrical circuit for operating clutch mechanisms 40. Operation of the microswitch serves to energize one clutch mechanism and deenergize the other, thereby reversing the sense of rotation of the shaft 41 and shafts 21. The rollers 7 are now rotated in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 and film in a major part of the path is again moved into and out of the processing solution, but in the opposite direction to that described above. Further, left-hand carriage It begins to descend and the carriage on the right ascends.

A similar reversal of the direction of film travel takes place each time one of the carriages 11 reaches the top of the associated rods 32 and operates a microswitch 36.

It will be appreciated that the effect of the above-described operation of the machine is to advance a section of film engaging the stationary guide means into and out of the solution, first in one sense and then in the opposite sense. Each section spends a predetermined proportion of the total time in the solution.

At the end of a process the movement of the film is stopped and the tank 3 is drained. The tank is then recharged with a fresh solution so that a further process can be effected.

It will be appreciated that the movable guide means are within the housing 1 and although they do not enter the processing solution they do become contaminated with solution on the film-contacting rollers 8 and 11 and with solution splashed upwardly from the tank 3.

The movable guide means are therefore sprayed with clear water, as is the interior of tank 3 and the sidewalls of housing 1, between each change of processing solution.

When the shafts 21 are rotating in a clockwise sense, as viewed in FIG. I, film in the section of the film path defined by the rollers 7 and 9 of the stationary guide means is successively driven into, through and out of processing solution in the tank 3. To accommodate the general movement of film in a direction from left to right, as viewed in FIG. 1, film is supplied to the stationary guide means from the movable guide means at the left-hand side of the housing and film is supplied from the stationary guide means to the movable guide means at the right-hand side.

Throughout this movement of film the section of film between the pin 15 in the left-hand cabinet 17 and the first of the rollers 8 engaged by the film remains stationary, and that portion between pin l5 and the aperture 5 remains outside the housing and does not become contaminated by the processing solution.

When the drive is reversed and the shafts 21 are rotated in an anticlockwise sense, as viewed in FIG. l, there is a general movement of film from right to left, film being supplied from the right-hand movable guide means to the stationary guide means and further film moving from the stationary guide means to the left-hand movable guide means. Again, the section of film between the first roller 8 and the pin 15 in the lefthand cabinet 17 remains stationary and there is no movement of contaminated film from the inside to the outside of the housing.

At the right-hand side of the housing there is a similar supply and takeup of film by the movable guide means and the section of film between the pin 15 in cabinet 17 and the adjacent roller 8 remains stationary.

The effect of the movable guide means is therefore to prevent a movement of film between the housing 1 and either of the cabinets l7 and the film in these cabinets is free from processing solution throughout.

What I claim is:

l. A film-processing machine comprising a housing forming a tank for film-processing solution in a lower portion thereof, a pair of means for securing opposed ends of an elongated strip of film relative to the housing, guide means defining a path for the film through said housing, a portion of the path extending through said tank, said guide means including movable guide elements interposed in the path between each of said securing means and said tank to allow variation in the length of film between each securing means and said tank, and drive means constructed and arranged for alternately advancing a section of film extending between said movable guide elements lengthwise in opposite directions through said tank,

said alternating advancement being accommodated by movements of said movable guide elements corresponding to increase or decrease of the length of film extending from said tank to a corresponding securing means.

2. A film processing machine as recited in claim I. in which said guide means include a pair of fixed guide rollers rotatably mounted in fixed relation to said housing, said movable guide elements comprise a pair of movable carriages each mounting a further guide roller, one of said fixed rollers and one of said carriages defining a portion of the film path between said tank and each of said securing means.

3. A film processing machine as recited in claim 2. each of said carriages being biased to move in a direction to lengthen the film path between said tank and the corresponding one of said securing means, and being movable in an opposite direction by the film when the drive means advance the film in a direction to shorten the film path between said tank and the corresponding one of said securing means.

4. A film processing machine as recited in claim 3, together with means mounting said carriages for freedom of motion with a vertical component of direction, said carriages being biased by gravity in a downward direction to lengthen the film path between said tank and said corresponding securing means.

5. A film-processing machine as recited in claim 4, in which said mounting means comprise guide rods extending with a vertical component of direction. and wheels rotatably mounted on said carriages and engaging said guide rods.

6. A film-processing machine as recited in claim 2, together with control means operable to reverse the direction of advancement of the film by said drive means. in response to movement of either of said carriages to a predetermined position corresponding to a predetermined minimum length of the film path between said tank and a corresponding one of said securing means.

7. A film-processing machine as recited in claim 6, in which said control means comprise a pair of switches each operable by movement of a corresponding one of said carriages to said predetermined position and each connected to reverse the direction of advancement of said film by said drive means.

8. A film-processing machine as recited in claim 1, said guide means further including a series of fixed guide rollers mounted within and without said tank to define sections of the film path extending in and out of said tank. 

1. A film-processing machine comprising a housing forming a tank for film-processing solution in a lower portion thereof, a pair of means for securing opposed ends of an elongated strip of film relative to the housing, guide means defining a path for the film through said housing, a portion of the path extending through said tank, said guide means including movable guide elements interposed in the path between each of said securing means and said tank to allow variation in the length of film between each securing means and said tank, and drive means constructed and arranged for alternately advancing a section of film extending between said movable guide elements lengthwise in opposite directions through said tank, said alternating advancement being accommodated by movements of said movable guide elements corresponding to increase or decrease of the length of film extending from said tank to a corresponding securing means.
 2. A film processing machine as recited in claim 1, in which said guide means include a pair of fixed guide rollers rotatably mounted in fixed relation to said housing, said movable guide elements comprise a pair of movable carriages each mounting a further guide roller, one of said fixed rollers and one of said carriages defining a portion of the film path between said tank and each of said securing means.
 3. A film processing machine as recited in claim 2, each of said carriages being biased to move in a direction to lengthen the film path between said tank and the corresponding one of said securing means, and being movable in an opposite direction by the film when the drive means advance the film in a direction to shorten the film path between said tank and the corresponding one of said securing means.
 4. A film processing machine as recited in claim 3, together with means mounting said carriages for freedom of motion with a vertical component of direction, said carriages being biased by gravity in a downward direction to lengthen the film path between said tank and said corresponding securing means.
 5. A film-processing machine as recited in claim 4, in which said mounting means comprise guide rods extending with a vertical component of direction, and wheels rotatably mounted on said carriages and engaging said guide rods.
 6. A film-processing machine as recited in claim 2, together with control means operable to reverse the direction of advancement of the film by said drive means, in response to movement of either of said carriages to a predetermined position corresponding to a predetermined minimum length of the film path between said tank and a corresponding one of said securing means.
 7. A film-processing machine as recited in claim 6, in which said control means comprise a pair of switches each operable by movement of a corresponding one of said carriages to said predetermined position and each connected to reverse the direction of advancement of said film by said drive means.
 8. A film-processing machine as recited in claim 1, said guide means further including a series of fixed guide rollers mounted within and without said tank to define sections of the film path extending in and out of said tank. 